BLAZING TRAILS

April 20, 2016
28 WINDY CITY TIMES
nightspots
the big
TO-DO
OUR WEEKLY PICKS TO PLAN
YOUR NIGHTLIFE CALENDAR
BIG CHICKS
Have a big bowl of Stewpendous Trivia every Wednesday at Big Chicks.
Photos by Kirk Williamson
Pop Smash
the DISH
Weekly Dining Guide in
WINDY CITY TIMES
SAVOR
Earls Kitchen
+ Bar
BY ANDREW DAVIS
Canada has offered many interesting exports to
this country over the years, ranging from poutine
to hockey to Celine Dion and Justin Bieber. (I’ll let
you be the judge of how welcome each is.)
However, after visiting Earls Kitchen + Bar
(1538 N. Clybourn Ave.; https://earls.ca/locations/lincoln-park)
recently, I’m convinced that
this eatery chain is one of the more welcome imports
from our neighbors to the north. (FYI: Father
and son Leroy Earl “Bus” Fuller and Stanley Earl
Fuller —lending their middle names—started the
business in the early ‘80s.)
Each Earls (and there are 66 in Canada and the
Chef Chris Memme (above) and Thai tomato
coconut soup (below) at Earls Kitchen + Bar.
Photos by Andrew Davis
United States!) is tailored for its host city—and
the Lincoln Park site is no exception. Chicago
flourishes include menu items such as the Chicken,
Brie + Fig Sandwich and Leroy’s Crispy Ribs. However,
the touches are not just limited to culinary
offerings, as there are works of art such as an item
that honors blues musician Muddy Waters; an installation
from a local Banksy-esque artist named
FRESH; and a piece on one wall of the lounge that
is a stunning take on the local music scene, complete
with trumpets emerging from the wall that
are arranged to produce a visual sound wave.
Speaking of the lounge, it’s just one component
of an expansive, airy restaurant that General Manager
Brad Bilick described as “casual premium” at a
recent media event this writer attended. (When he
asked what I thought of the space, my first answer
was “There’s a lot of it.”) There are a three-season
patio, a sports bar area with multiple screens and
what I call the more traditional dining area that
offers a view into the prep kitchen, which Chef
Chris Memme oversees.
And mentioning the kitchen (which is meticulously
organized, by the way) brings us to the
food, which both Memme and Bilick described as
a “global skillet.” (Bilick pointed out that everything
is made in-house at Earls.) The burgers have
earned universal raves (and I plan on trying those
in the future), but the offerings I sampled were
pretty impressive as well. The Thai tomato coconut
soup had crispy chickpeas for added texture, while
the bibimbap was a solid dish. My faves had to be
the fall-off-the-bone ribs and the chimichurri skirt
steak (served with baby potatoes and pan-roasted
tomatoes). The desserts are also pretty cool, with
offerings such as sticky toffee chocolate pudding
and coconut cake.
By the way, I urge you to partake of the intriguing
drink selection at Earls. There are items that
range from craft sodas to unique cocktails—and I
loved the Marilyn Monroe, a tasty melange of Skyy
vodka, passionfruit puree, vanilla and prosecco.
Then, there’s the Caesar—Earls’ take on the Bloody
Mary, complete with vodka, Clamato and spices.
The only potential snag for some may be the
price points (e.g., $15 burgers). Answering that
concern, Bilick emailed, “ Earls believes in using
only the best, consciously sourced ingredients.
Sustainable seafood, approved by Oceanwise and
the Marine Stewardship Association; fresh antibiotic
free chicken and cage-free eggs, and 100-percent
all-natural Certified Humane beef for our
burgers and steaks. We even make our own cheese
slices for our burger.
“Our food is cooked fresh and from scratch,
there’s no commissary kitchen as many other
traditional chains have. We strongly believe in
practicing conscious-sourcing and providing only
quality ingredients for our customers, which can
result in increased prices. We think our guests will
both taste and appreciate the difference and understand
that it can cost a bit more to eat consciously.”
Earls is a very welcome addition to Chicago—
even if, for some, visiting may be more of a special
occasion than an everyday thing. Thanks, Canada!
Note: Earls offers a wine special on Thursdays,
with half off all wines.
Thu., April 21, 10 pm
Mary’s Attic,
5400 N. Clark St.
A pop music revue that covers artists
from Cher and Madonna, all the way to
Britney Spears. Featuring the vocals of
Eric Briggs and Tyler R. Hall. Live guitar
by Kevin Florian. Doors open at 10 pm,
$5 at the door.
Jai Ho: Springtime Secrets
Fri., April 22, 10 pm
Big Chicks,
5024 N. Sheridan Rd.
DJ Voxbox spins Bollywood and Bhangra
hits and Masala Sapphire puts on a show
featuring Chicago’s freshest queens. A
queer dance party featuring South Asian
music and performances. $5 donation
goes toward supporting future Trikone
Chicago events.
Bear All w/Scott Free
Sat., April 23, 10 pm
Touche,
6412 N. Clark St.
Sensuous men singing steamy, sweaty
songs. Featuring The Pleasure Centers,
Mister E Machine, Ben Walter and Scott
Free. Hosted by Bryan Dowling.
The Boys in Briefs
SIDETRACK
Bow down to Bey, Wed., April 13.
Photos by Jed Dulanas
Tue., April 26, 7 pm
Uptown Underground,
4707 N. Broadway
Featuring Emmy Award-winner Scott
Gryder, Jeff Award-winner Donterrio
Johnson, and the stars of PFP’s The Boy
From Oz, Chris Logan and Luke Meierdiercks.
Sizzling classics from George
Gershwin, Kander and Ebb, the Drifters
and more.